Making a Chunk Candle

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The En-Light-ener
Candle Making Newsletter

"The
En-Light-ener" November 2001Candle Making Newsletter

Welcome
to the En-light-ener, Candlewic's newsletter for the candle making
community.

It
is hard to believe that we are drawing to the end of the year.
While many people and companies are still trying to finish the
holiday rush for the next 2-3 weeks it is also an important time
of year for companies to begin an overall evaluation of their
company. This evaluation should include production requirements,
product mix and markets. Many companies ask questions such as, “Do
we have sufficient wax melters for our requirements? “Do
we have sufficient quantities of molds to meet production requirements?” and “What
new products should we introduce for the new year?” End
of the year capital purchases can also make for good tax planning.
You may wish to consult your accountant to determine what may
make good business sense for your needs. If you are interested
in any of these products, use this link to visit our online store: http://www.candlewic.com/store

We
have covered a wide range of topics both in terms of production
of candles and how to run a candle business. We encourage you
to visit our past issues, which can be found on our web site.
A number of exciting contest have been held in which we have
given away hundreds of dollars in products. Our October contest
winner won a credit for $113.14 in Candlewic product. This month’s
contest may prove to be the “funnest” one yet. Sometime
between the receipt of this newsletter and the next issue we
will publish a picture of a partridge in a pear tree somewhere
on our website. The first customer who emails us with the exact
location of this picture will receive a credit. See complete
contest details at the end of this newsletter.

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MAKING A CHUNK CANDLE
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The types of candles that can be made are almost infinite and dependent on
the candle maker’s imagination. Many of today’s candles were also
very popular years ago. Two good examples would be chunk candles and botanical
candles. We will focus on making chunk candles in this newsletter and we will
discuss botanical candles in the next issue.

The
making of chunk candles is relatively easy and allows the candle
maker to use excess wax from other production runs in a very
productive manner.

To
start, pour excess wax from previous candles or new wax of different
colors into a bakers tray or cookie sheet. Prior to letting the
wax completely harden, take a knife and cut the sheet into square
or other unique shapes. These chunks can be scented or unscented.
(For a uniquely scented candle try using different types of scents
in these candles.) Using different scents will allow these candles
to “emit” different smells during the burning cycle.

When
the chunks are completely hard remove them from the sheets and
place in any type of pillar mold. Common mold sizes would include
3 x 6-1/2, 3 x 9-1/2 and 4 x 4-1/2. Once the chunks have been
placed in the mold, take a pillar wax (scented or unscented)
and pour over the chunks. When the candle is completely set up,
remove the pillar from the mold.

For
variations in the basic chunk candle, try some of the following
variations:
1. Once the chunks are placed in the mold, pour your pillar wax at a higher
temperature, which will cause the chunks to streak and create a unique look.
2. Try using different types of molds such as octagons, squares and other unusual
shapes.
3. Try making chunk candles in a jar. For best results make the chunks out
of wax with a lower melt point wax.

What
makes the chunk candle so unique is the endless possibilities
that can be made with the same basic concept. The making of the
chunks also make for a great use of your scrap wax.

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FAQ
------
Is there a good book for learning to make candles?

What
is so appealing about making candles is that there really is
not a wrong or right way as long as the end result is safe burning
candle. Candlewic now offers a good book entitled “Essentially
Candles” to assist in the basics of candle making. The book
covers a wide range of topics including, containers, pillars,
making gel candles and even unique applications for wax art crystals.
For more information or to purchase this book, use this link: http://www.candlewic.com/store

I always seem to have a little extra wax when pouring my candles what can I
do with this?

There
are several potential uses, as identified in this newsletter
the chunks for chunk candles, if you have the proper molds you
can make “scented wax chips” great for use in potpourri
pots and also “fire starters” which have become very
popular. The nice thing about wax is that it can be heated and
re-heated many times with very little impact on its performance.

---------------------------------------------
FIRST EVER CLEARANCE SALE
---------------------------------------------
Exciting things are continuing to happen here at Candlewic as we enter our
33rd year of selling candle making supplies. We will be holding our first ever “Clearance
Sale” at our Ottsville, PA location. This is a great opportunity to pick
up a number of our products that have been slightly damaged, discontinued or
that have been produced but for whatever reason never made it to market. Most
products will be at least 50% off list price. Further, all waxes that we carry
will be on sale for these two days (Must be picked up to receive special pricing.)
Don’t miss this opportunity to see products that you may not even know
existed. It will be a great opportunity to meet many of the Staff that you
may have talked to in the past and the Binders will be there throughout most
of the day.

We
will also be holding our last class of 2001 on December 27 and
December 28. Space is limited so sign up early. The cost of this
class is $400 and covers 2 days of intensive candle making instruction
and all materials needed to make about $100 (retail value) of
candles. For more information call 610-847-2076 or e-mail us
at info@candlewic.com.

----------------------------
CONTEST DETAILS
----------------------------
1. At some point during the next 30 days, an image of a partridge in a pear
tree will be added to the Candlewic web site.
2. To enter the contest, individuals must send an e-mail to info@candlewic.com
and identify the exact page where the image appears.
3. All entries must include your name, company name (if any) complete address,
phone number and e-mail address.
4. The first e-mail received that correctly identifies the location of the
image will be the winning entry. That individual will receive a $100 Candlewic
credit.
5. The date and time on the received e-mail will be used to determine the winner.
6. A second place prize of $50 Candlewic credit will be awarded by selecting
name from all valid entries through a random drawing.
7. No purchase necessary.

Related News

When making this type of candle, it is important to ensure that it is made as safely as possible. Making a botanical candle is generally a 4-step process. The first step is to make the "core" or a pillar, generally one which is 3" x 3-1/2". This candle can be made using a 131 F melt wax with some stearic or white coloring. The reason is that you want this candle to be white to offer a contrast to the outer shell. It is also important to size the wick to only burn this candle about 2-1/2" inches across. When this candle is finished, remove it from the mold leaving extra wick on the candle so that is may be threaded through the wick hole on the 4" x 4-1/2" mold. Thus far, the process used to make this candle is no different than as if you were making a standard pillar.

It is no secret these days that the candle market has become more competitive. Retailers and consumers have become “price sensitive” on many type of candles. One of the essential requirements to grow a candle company in this new market is to expand your product offering. This will assist to grow your company in two ways. First, it allows you to grow the products that you are offering to your existing customer base; and secondly it allows you to market to new accounts, which previously where not purchasing your products.

Candlewic has been selected by Honeywell to be an authorized distributor for Honeywell and their Astorlite products. You may know Honeywell products through the J-50, J-223 and Astorlite Q products. As an authorized distributor, we can be sure that we're offering our customers some of the best pricing available anywhere. We will be inventorying many of the Astorlite products in both Doylestown, PA (see information below about our new location) and Wausau, WI. Please see the section below for a complete listing of products available and location.